Didn't go camping
Yep, didn't go camping...and it turns out it was probably a really smart move. We had winds of about 30 mph, which alone would really suck. I was planning on camping at the truck in the middle of an old burned area...sounds like a good way to get a damaged truck, a blocked road, or even killed. Oh, and then it started raining, pretty hard...at about 1930. Imagine getting to your camping spot and have it rain an hour before dark. What do you do then? Sit in your small backpacking tent and read? AND, this morning, when the clouds broke, I could see fresh snow on the mountains around my house! It's September 10th! Wow! THAT would have been a good thing on the hill, but I still didn't like the idea of getting stalled up there. So, I may go tomorrow.
The real subject of this post should be "I'm going to buy a .45." Which I have decided I will. I've always wanted one, but never bought one. I would love a Kimber...a really nice 1911 right off the bat...but at the same time I kinda want a utilitarian 1911 that I can pack and not worry about too much. Here's the story why I finally decided.
Since I chose not to drive two hours and camp in 30 mph wind in a burned area, during a rain/snowstorm...I left the house at about 1500 and went into the area I killed my first deer. Wouldn't that be cool? Killing your first elk in the same drainage you killed your first deer? That's what I thought. Anywho, I was getting ready to head out and this truck pulls up. This guy in flannel leans out the window and says, "You going elk hunting up there?" I said yes, and he informed me that he was a logger and he saw some elk up there in the morning...around 0630. He even went as far as to tell me where he saw them and how to get there. Wow, people really surprise me sometimes. He actually had to drive by, turn around, talk to me, then turn around to go back the way he was originally going. I love loggers.
So I went up the drainage and found that it had been logged considerably since I was up there last. I noticed a lot of bear poo on the road on the way up and thought, "maybe I'll get to see that bear." But, I got to the head of the drainage and cut up the hill to get to the ridgetop. The wind was simply howling from all directions...didn't make sneaking around a real issue. But I was there to explore as well as hunt...so it didn't bother me too much. I did a lot of cow calling and bugled once...with absolutely no turn out. I then just cow called the rest of the time when I was crossing the heads of drainages...trying to get something to come in. I actually did really well with making a setup and then sticking with it...I was at each spot for a half hour each. Leaving time for something to sneak up on me. NOTHING. I saw one deer, and actually ended up following her around...not on purpose, but just happenstance. Blah blah blah. Great country, but I knew the elk wouldn't be down there if that's where they would be in the morning. I was trying to find an area they might into my area from...the direction their beds would be. But I couldn't find the typical "elk bedding area" anywhere around. I roamed around for a couple hours and then the wind died down...but then the rain started! Good though, I know rain kicks your scent down into the ground, so I was doing good.
I flushed some grouse and had been carrying around this thought that I would try and kill one for dinner. NOPE. Ruffed grouse are weird like that. These birds will flush when you are well out of sight...and land about half a mile away. Bastards. So, despite seeing a couple and actually knocking my one judo-pointed arrow once..got no shot and had to settle for bacon and eggs for dinner. On the way back, I thought I was on the ridge above the truck so bombed off the very steep edge and headed down to the bottom. When I got there, I found out it wasn't the drainage I came in on. So I walked up that drainage thinking it was just the next one over. I got near the top, then crossed in a small saddle to cross down into the next "hollow" to get to the road. While doing that, I found a huge trail many animals had made in the grass. Finally, I had found some sign of where those elk had been! But, it was getting dark and still raining, so I decided to not follow the trail in either direction. Very hard to do by the way...leave that trail and not explore it more. I was on a mission to get home. So I dropped down into the NEXT valley and found that one wasn't the right one either...I then had to hike BACK UP the next ridge and finally to the road I came in on. All this time I could've walked to the highway and made it to the truck, but I'm actually embarrassed to walk along the highway in all my bowhunting garb. Doesn't seem right for some reason.
So, I made it to the road I came in on and was hustling to get out before it was totally dark. I came to the spot where I saw all the bear shit and thought, "Shoot, I wonder where bears go in the day. Do they bed down somewhere too?" Almost as soon as that thought hit my mind, there was a large rustling up ahead combined with this growl/huffing noise. I saw the movement of this cinnamon-colored black bear at about 30 yards. He had been nosing around in a small meadowy area. He only ran up the opposite hill about 10 yards when he stopped. So here's what I wrote on a pad last night:
"I'm unusually calm in tense situations. I had a bear meet me on my way home, he ran up the hill with a lot of grunting and wheezing but stopped at about 40 yards, only 10 yards from where he started. I raised my bow above my head and shouted, "get outta here bear" but he just stood there and swayed. I moved down the road a little and then got a little pissed. "Why wasn't he more scared?" So I moved back up the road so I could see him better and hollered, waving my arms. This did nothing. I stood there for awhile and he started stepping down the hill, back towards where he came. I hollered some more, "get outta here bear." He stopped again and swayed. I then drew the bow...an easy shot with a rifle, a more difficult but very doable shot with a pistol, but a very nervous shot with a bow. It was his huffing and growling that got my hairs raising...every time he'd move, he'd roar and wheeze....only moving about 5 yards at a time. Absolutely no fear of me. I was very much downwind and surprised him, but he knew what I was. Gorgeous critter. It is time for the .45. If he rushed me, I'd have one arrow in him and another to defend myself by hand. [That would have been all I had time for.] He was a lot faster than I'd imagine. No bear spray, just a dead bear is my preference."
He was just too quick. And I started thinking about if I had something down....I would FOR SURE have a bear in there...and I'm not about to give up 600 lbs of meat just for a lazy bear. I will buy this handgun and wear it while I'm out.
It's funny, with the cold front moving in, the smell reminded me of many things in my past. I never fully realized all that I had done during that time of year before I smelled that distinct smell of fall once again. The memories that stuck out were this...I wrote it down last night:
"old, cold blood in a garage
smoking steelhead in Elk City
backpacking in Bozeman my first year in college
cutting wood to make a bed."
Isn't that weird? So many thoughts tied to the smell of cold air and pine trees.
I may go to that original hunting spot tomorrow and see if the snow is still up there. Nothing bugling yet, but the tracking should be a big plus. We'll see.
The real subject of this post should be "I'm going to buy a .45." Which I have decided I will. I've always wanted one, but never bought one. I would love a Kimber...a really nice 1911 right off the bat...but at the same time I kinda want a utilitarian 1911 that I can pack and not worry about too much. Here's the story why I finally decided.
Since I chose not to drive two hours and camp in 30 mph wind in a burned area, during a rain/snowstorm...I left the house at about 1500 and went into the area I killed my first deer. Wouldn't that be cool? Killing your first elk in the same drainage you killed your first deer? That's what I thought. Anywho, I was getting ready to head out and this truck pulls up. This guy in flannel leans out the window and says, "You going elk hunting up there?" I said yes, and he informed me that he was a logger and he saw some elk up there in the morning...around 0630. He even went as far as to tell me where he saw them and how to get there. Wow, people really surprise me sometimes. He actually had to drive by, turn around, talk to me, then turn around to go back the way he was originally going. I love loggers.
So I went up the drainage and found that it had been logged considerably since I was up there last. I noticed a lot of bear poo on the road on the way up and thought, "maybe I'll get to see that bear." But, I got to the head of the drainage and cut up the hill to get to the ridgetop. The wind was simply howling from all directions...didn't make sneaking around a real issue. But I was there to explore as well as hunt...so it didn't bother me too much. I did a lot of cow calling and bugled once...with absolutely no turn out. I then just cow called the rest of the time when I was crossing the heads of drainages...trying to get something to come in. I actually did really well with making a setup and then sticking with it...I was at each spot for a half hour each. Leaving time for something to sneak up on me. NOTHING. I saw one deer, and actually ended up following her around...not on purpose, but just happenstance. Blah blah blah. Great country, but I knew the elk wouldn't be down there if that's where they would be in the morning. I was trying to find an area they might into my area from...the direction their beds would be. But I couldn't find the typical "elk bedding area" anywhere around. I roamed around for a couple hours and then the wind died down...but then the rain started! Good though, I know rain kicks your scent down into the ground, so I was doing good.
I flushed some grouse and had been carrying around this thought that I would try and kill one for dinner. NOPE. Ruffed grouse are weird like that. These birds will flush when you are well out of sight...and land about half a mile away. Bastards. So, despite seeing a couple and actually knocking my one judo-pointed arrow once..got no shot and had to settle for bacon and eggs for dinner. On the way back, I thought I was on the ridge above the truck so bombed off the very steep edge and headed down to the bottom. When I got there, I found out it wasn't the drainage I came in on. So I walked up that drainage thinking it was just the next one over. I got near the top, then crossed in a small saddle to cross down into the next "hollow" to get to the road. While doing that, I found a huge trail many animals had made in the grass. Finally, I had found some sign of where those elk had been! But, it was getting dark and still raining, so I decided to not follow the trail in either direction. Very hard to do by the way...leave that trail and not explore it more. I was on a mission to get home. So I dropped down into the NEXT valley and found that one wasn't the right one either...I then had to hike BACK UP the next ridge and finally to the road I came in on. All this time I could've walked to the highway and made it to the truck, but I'm actually embarrassed to walk along the highway in all my bowhunting garb. Doesn't seem right for some reason.
So, I made it to the road I came in on and was hustling to get out before it was totally dark. I came to the spot where I saw all the bear shit and thought, "Shoot, I wonder where bears go in the day. Do they bed down somewhere too?" Almost as soon as that thought hit my mind, there was a large rustling up ahead combined with this growl/huffing noise. I saw the movement of this cinnamon-colored black bear at about 30 yards. He had been nosing around in a small meadowy area. He only ran up the opposite hill about 10 yards when he stopped. So here's what I wrote on a pad last night:
"I'm unusually calm in tense situations. I had a bear meet me on my way home, he ran up the hill with a lot of grunting and wheezing but stopped at about 40 yards, only 10 yards from where he started. I raised my bow above my head and shouted, "get outta here bear" but he just stood there and swayed. I moved down the road a little and then got a little pissed. "Why wasn't he more scared?" So I moved back up the road so I could see him better and hollered, waving my arms. This did nothing. I stood there for awhile and he started stepping down the hill, back towards where he came. I hollered some more, "get outta here bear." He stopped again and swayed. I then drew the bow...an easy shot with a rifle, a more difficult but very doable shot with a pistol, but a very nervous shot with a bow. It was his huffing and growling that got my hairs raising...every time he'd move, he'd roar and wheeze....only moving about 5 yards at a time. Absolutely no fear of me. I was very much downwind and surprised him, but he knew what I was. Gorgeous critter. It is time for the .45. If he rushed me, I'd have one arrow in him and another to defend myself by hand. [That would have been all I had time for.] He was a lot faster than I'd imagine. No bear spray, just a dead bear is my preference."
He was just too quick. And I started thinking about if I had something down....I would FOR SURE have a bear in there...and I'm not about to give up 600 lbs of meat just for a lazy bear. I will buy this handgun and wear it while I'm out.
It's funny, with the cold front moving in, the smell reminded me of many things in my past. I never fully realized all that I had done during that time of year before I smelled that distinct smell of fall once again. The memories that stuck out were this...I wrote it down last night:
"old, cold blood in a garage
smoking steelhead in Elk City
backpacking in Bozeman my first year in college
cutting wood to make a bed."
Isn't that weird? So many thoughts tied to the smell of cold air and pine trees.
I may go to that original hunting spot tomorrow and see if the snow is still up there. Nothing bugling yet, but the tracking should be a big plus. We'll see.
posted by geotracker12 at 3:31 PM
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